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Holistic Risk Management at the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation

Published on 8 July 2025
How a project of the Task Force "Risk Management" of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation improved contingency planning in all its institutions.
Good practices and lessons learntResearch papers
Author details
Dohrmann, Alke PhD; Siegel, Almut - Project Managers of the SiLK- Guidelines for the Protection of Cultural Property, and Research Associates Holistic Risk Management, Rathgen-Forschungslabor, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Germany
Unique identifier
ISSN 2975-190X – ISBN 978-88-6864-548-9

In 2017, the theft of the golden coin “Big Maple Leaf” out of the Bodemuseum, and the damage of sculptures with an oily substance in several museums of the museum ensemble in 2020 were of great public interest. All affected institutions are members of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (SPK) in Berlin.

Following these events, the SPK founded a Task Force Risk Management comprising of all relevant departments of administration and science. It started a project to establish a holistic risk management helping all museums, archives, libraries and institutes of the SPK to enhance their emergency planning and risk awareness.

Supported by the SPK risk commissioners a risk analysis is conducted and the emergency documentation system refined to adopt adequate measures and to prepare best. The staff is trained and trans-institutional communication encouraged. Strong ties with the fire fighters are being built and the SPK became member of preparedness networks.

KEYWORDS: task force, risk management, preparedness, cultural heritage. In PROCULTHER-NET 2 Project. Technical Bulletin N. 3, July 2024, pp 36-41.

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Hazard types

Multi-hazard

DRM Phases

Recovery Response

Geographic focus

Germany all Europe/EU

Sectors

Cultural Heritage

Risk drivers

Climate change Environmental degradation